


Bonding

by 18lzytwner



Series: LazyTown Second Series [1]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-07-16
Updated: 2006-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-27 14:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 10,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15687060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: Stephanie returns to LazyTown but things aren't so good. Will Sportacus be able to help or will Robbie cause trouble?





	1. Chapter 1

Sportacus was excited.  Stephanie and her Uncle Milford would be coming in on the afternoon train.  He had missed her since last summer and once again he looked forward to the fun they could have.

          Something struck him as odd though.  Stephanie had come by herself on the train last time and now the Mayor was accompanying her.  Surely, if an eight year old could come by herself, than a nine year old should be able to.  Of course, the Mayor had said that he had to visit his sister and would be bringing Stephanie back with him, so maybe nothing was wrong after all.

          “Ladder!”  The above average hero shouted and the white ladder flew down from the airship.  He climbed down onto the already open platform and then grabbed for the ladder.  Climbing down that until he reached a certain point, Sportacus jumped off and headed for the train station. 

          Pixel, Stingy, Trixie, and Ziggy were busy setting up the Mayor’s house for a party.  They were happy that their friend was returning and hoped that they would have another great summer.  Pixel and Trixie hung the streamers while Stingy took hold of the presents.  Ziggy was busy with making sure the cake had enough candy. 

          Stephanie stared out the train’s window.  She had remained silent the entire ride to LazyTown.  Milford hadn’t known what to say or do.  He hoped that in time, she would open up to him. 

          “Next stop, LazyTown!  All passengers disembarking make sure you have all your luggage.”  The usher announced.  Milford got up and began to remove the suitcases and duffel bags from the overheard storage rack. 

          “Do you and your daughter need help with all of that?”  The usher came up behind and asked.

          “My niece and I have someone waiting for us at the station but I think we’ll need help getting these out.”  Milford corrected.

          “It would be my pleasure to help you.  Staying in LazyTown long?”  The man was just trying to be nice but Milford didn’t want Stephanie to get upset.

          “My niece is coming to live with me.  I’m afraid I don’t want anything to upset her.”  He whispered to the friendly usher.

          “Oh, I’m sorry.  I’ll just keep my mouth shut.”  The usher followed Milford’s example and kept his voice low.  The Mayor just nodded and gave the man a small smile.  They could feel the train slow beneath their feet and the usher moved away for a second.

          “Last call!  Anyone disembarking at LazyTown please have your luggage now!”  He called.  Passengers began to fill the aisle as the train stopped.

          Sportacus watched all the people getting off the train and wondered where Milford and Stephanie were.  It was then that he saw an usher get off the train followed by the Mayor and finally Stephanie.  The smile on his face faded as he saw the girl’s eyes.  They were red and puffy.

          Quickly, he took the bags from the usher and the man smiled as he boarded the train again.

          “Do you have everything?”  Sportacus asked.  Milford turned and counted all the luggage.

          “Yes.  Thank you for meeting us, Sportacus.”  The Mayor responded in a quiet voice.  The above average hero had the urge to ask what had happened but he didn’t want to upset Stephanie or Milford anymore.     

          “Quiet!  Here they come!”  Trixie shouted.  Quickly, the friends ducked behind furniture and made sure they were out of view.  The door opened and the four popped out screaming,

          “Surprise!”  But their smiles soon faded as Stephanie began to cry.  The nine-year old dropped her bags and ran away from the house.  


	2. Chapter 2

Sportacus dropped what he was carrying and ran after her leaving Milford to explain.  With his above average speed, he easily caught up to her.

          “Stephanie, stop.  What’s wrong?”  He asked putting his hands on her shoulders.  Tears still trickled down her cheeks and onto her pink sundress.  She opened her mouth but no words came out.  Sportacus knew that whatever had happened had been serious and he felt bad.  Crouching down, so he was at eye level with her, he looked into her chocolate brown eyes.  They were red, puffy, and full of sadness.

          “Please tell me what happened.”  The above average hero asked.

          “They’re gone.”  Were the only words that quietly slipped from Stephanie’s mouth.  A look of confusion crossed Sportacus’ face.

          “Who’s gone?”  He asked.

          “My parents.”  The words hit the air and hung there like the summer’s high humidity.  More tears began to fall down Stephanie’s face and Sportacus stood up straight and pulled her close.  He could feel her sobbing into his chest and he tried to calm her down.

          “It’ll be ok.  We can get through this.”  The above average hero promised.  Carefully he moved his hands and scooped her up in his arms.  Sportacus then headed back toward the Mayor’s house. 

          When they arrived, Bessie came out and ushered them in.  The kids had been sent home and Milford sat on the couch in the living room.  Sportacus walked over and set Stephanie next to her uncle.  Bessie then pulled him aside into the kitchen.

          “Milford hasn’t said much.  How about Stephanie?”  She asked.

          “All she said was that her parents were gone.”  He replied.

          “The only extra bit of news I got was that Stephanie was going to live in LazyTown now.”  Bessie told him.

          “So, the reason the Mayor went to visit his sister, was that…”  Sportacus couldn’t finish the sentence.

          “His sister and her husband are dead.”  Bessie kept her voice low.

* * *

          Trixie, Stingy, Ziggy, and Pixel sat in the tree house trying to figure out what they had done wrong.

          “I thought she’d love to have a party.”  The Gizmo Guy said.

          “Well maybe she realized it was _my_ party and she couldn’t handle it.”  Stingy told them.  At this, Trixie elbowed him in the ribs.

          “What should we do?”  Ziggy asked, sticking his favorite lollipop into his mouth.  The four friends sat around in silence.  No one knew what to do. 

* * *

Robbie Rotten moved away from his periscope.  He had seen the whole incident and walked over in front of his disguise tubes.  Something inside him hurt.

          “What is wrong with me?”  He asked no one in particular.  The evil villain of LazyTown wasn’t paying attention and tripped down the stairs.

          “I meant to do that.”  He muttered.  Quickly, he stood up, brushed himself off, and straightened his vest.  Robbie plunked himself down in his big fuzzy orange chair.  He shook any strange feelings of sympathy for the pink-haired girl immediately. 

          “She thinks things are bad now.  Wait until Sportacus is forced to leave LazyTown FOREVER!”  The evil villain shouted.  The last word echoed off the high vaulted walls of his underground lair.


	3. Chapter 3

Stephanie lay on her bed with her face in her pillow.  Physically and emotionally she was completely drained.  The nine year old didn’t hear the door to her room open nor did she hear someone walk into the room.

          “Stephanie.”  Her name was barely spoken above whisper.  When she didn’t respond, the person became nervous and touched her shoulder.  Quickly, the nine year old rolled over to find a kind handsome face smiling at her.

          “Sportacus.”  Stephanie made a weak smile.  Slowly she sat up.  The above average hero wrapped her up in a big hug that made her feel all tingly.

          “Stephanie, I want to help you.  I know what has happened doesn’t seem fair and it doesn’t seem right but if you talk about it, it helps.”  He said as they came apart.  The nine year old gave him a look.  Her red puffy eyes and pale skin made her seem like she was someone else.  This wasn’t the happy, spunky eight year old from last summer.  This was a little girl who was in pain.

          “It was my fault.”  She told him.  Those words struck a chord, they were familiar.

          “No, it’s not your fault.  Don’t ever think that.”  Sportacus said.  Stephanie looked away from the above average hero.  Gently, he placed his fingers on her chin and pulled her face to look at him.

          “Please tell me everything.  I bet I’ll understand more than you think.”  His smile made her want to tell him everything but something was holding her back.  Something made her think that Sportacus wouldn’t want to be her friend anymore.

          The above average hero could see that she was debating saying anything and he had to get her to open up.  He knew from personal experience that if Stephanie didn’t open up, whatever had happened would eat at her and turn her away from everyone in LazyTown.  Friendships would fall apart and any remaining family connections would suffer.  Sportacus didn’t want her to inadvertently hurt her uncle.

          “We were driving to the grocery store.  Mom and Dad were arguing as usual.  They couldn’t agree on something we were going to buy.  I was upset and I just wanted them to stop.  I was so sick of them yelling.  So I started to shout at them.  My Dad was driving and he turned around to tell me to be quiet.”  Stephanie stopped.  A long silence followed as she tried to keep from crying.  Sportacus wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

          “The next thing I remember is waking up and seeing Uncle Milford.  I was in the hospital.  I asked him if I could see Mom and Dad and he said…”  Tears started to come into her eyes.  The above average hero took his hand and wiped some of the salty droplets away.  Then he took his arms and scooped her up and moved her into his lap.  Stephanie put her head against his shoulder and they sat together until she fell asleep. 

* * *

          Robbie sat in his big fuzzy orange chair, thinking.  He couldn’t come up with any good ideas to get rid of Sportacus.  This time should be easier.  The little pink cheerleader was already a wreck and if Sportakook left, she would probably remain a shell of a human being.

          The villain got up and paced back and forth.  His right pointer finger poked his temple as if that would help him think. 

          “That’s it!”  Robbie shouted!


	4. Chapter 4

Sportacus sat on a stool in the kitchen, next to Milford.  Bessie was digging around the fridge for something to eat.

          “Stephanie said she woke up in the hospital.  Is she physically ok?”  The above average hero asked.

          “The doctors said she only had some cuts, bruises, and a slight concussion.”  Milford explained.  A silence followed.  After a minute or so, the Mayor opened his mouth again.

          “I don’t understand how that can be!  My sister, Ruth, and her husband, Howard, were killed.  The police showed me pictures of the car.  There was practically nothing left.  Howard died on impact; his brains were splattered all over the car.  Ruth was thrown up against her door.  Her internal organs were bashed against her rib cage and it caused internal bleeding.  Stephanie’s head was thrown against the window and she only had a slight concussion.  I don’t understand!”  Milford shouted and began to cry.  Bessie was over in a flash comforting him.  Sportacus understood the man’s pain but he was afraid that his shouting would wake Stephanie.  Sure enough, the nine year old came down the hall.  Quickly, she went over to her uncle and the two hugged.  Bessie backed away and let them comfort each other.  Quietly, Sportacus got up from his chair and left.

          Underground, behind the billboard, Robbie was going over the plan one more time.  Tomorrow morning would be perfect to put it into action but he needed to make sure that everything would be in place. 

          “Sportakook will never see this coming.  I’m a genius!”  He shouted.  That’s when the alert on his periscope went off.  Robbie raised one eyebrow and walked over to it.  He grabbed the handles, stretched his arms out, and pulled his face close to the viewing lens.

          “It’s Sportadork, but he’s not running or jumping or flipping.”  Robbie pulled back blew on the lens and rubbed it off with his elbow.  Looking in it again, he could see that his eyes weren’t deceiving him.  The overactive blue elf was just walking.  It was the weirdest thing but the villain didn’t let it bother him.  There was a plan to do and an above average hero to get rid of.

* * *

          Morning came faster than Sportacus would have liked.  It had been way past his eight-oh-eight bedtime when he finally crawled into bed.  He’d spent most of the night, tossing and turning; remembering how he had felt when his were taken away from him.  He wasn’t much older than Stephanie when they were killed and the above average hero felt that there had to be something he could do for her.  Without the help of his uncle and aunt, Sportacus wasn’t so sure he would have become the hero he is today.

          Suddenly, his crystal went off and Sportacus quickly shot out of bed and moved towards the side of the airship.

          “Door!”  He commanded.  The door moved down and turned into a platform.  Sportacus pulled out his spyglass and took a look around LazyTown.  It didn’t take long for the above average hero to find the problem.  He quickly called out another command.

          “Platform down!”  The platform lowered and he called again.

          “Ladder!”  The white rung ladder dropped and Sportacus climbed down it.  He raced over to the kids.  Trixie, Stingy, Ziggy, and Pixel were tied to a tree.

          “Sportacus!”  They called out.  The above average hero was about to untie them when suddenly the ground underneath him gave way. 


	5. Chapter 5

Stephanie heard her friends screaming and came running.  Something inside her said that they needed her, just like her parents had needed her.

          “Stephanie!”  Pixel shouted.  They were all happy to see her but Robbie cursed his bad luck.  He hadn’t expected Pinky to show up and that threw off his plan.  Quickly, the villain fled from his hiding spot behind a nearby wall.

          Sportacus easily jumped from the hole he fell in and helped the nine year old untie their friends.

          “What happened?”  He asked the kids.

          “We were playing train robbers and suddenly this guy dressed up as a train engineer came over and said if we wanted to be authentic someone had to get tied up.  Well we got tied up.”  Trixie explained.

          “He took _MY_ car, I mean train.”  Stingy said.  Sportacus made a face.

          “We pretended his car was a train.”  Ziggy explained.

          “Oh.”  Stephanie and Sportacus said at the same time.

          “Well what should we do next?”  Pixel asked.

          “How about some video games?”  Trixie wondered.  The four friends were about to run off to Pixel’s house when Ziggy turned to Stephanie and asked,

          “Are you gonna come too?”

          “In a little while, maybe.”  She curled her lips over her teeth and forced a smile.  The four left and Stephanie turned to Sportacus.

          “How did you get in that hole?”  She asked.  The above average hero looked up from brushing the loose dirt off his costume.

          “I was trying to untie the kids and my feet just went out from under me.”  He smiled.  “Why don’t you go play with them?”  At this, Stephanie lowered her head.

          “It seems pointless to play.”  Was all she said.

          “I know this seems hard, but you have to play.  You have to continue your life.  Trust me, even though things don’t look so good now, it’ll get better.  It did for me.  I got up and went on with my life.”  Sportacus told her.

          “What do you mean?”  The nine year old asked.

          “Why don’t you have a good time with your friends and we can talk later?”  He returned with his own question.  Stephanie nodded and watched him flip away.  Questions filled her head as she slowly made the walk to Pixel’s house.

* * *

          Robbie sat in his big fuzzy orange chair strumming his fingers on the arm of it.  The whole point of the hole was to spring out and keep the blue elf in the hole.  When someone came a long and saw the kids tied to a tree and Sportacus in a hole, they would assume he hadn’t done his job and they would make him leave.

          That failed, he would have to come up with a new plan and he got up out of his chair.  The villain began to pace the floor and tapping the side of his head with his index finger.

          “Think, think, think.”  Robbie muttered to no one in particular.  What could he use to trap Sportacus?  Maybe trapping him wasn’t the way to go.  He had to make the overactive being fail.  Robbie’s eyes went wide.  That was it.  Sportakook would have to fail and fail big.  The plan would have to be perfect.


	6. Chapter 6

Robbie pulled one of his inventions from storage.  The device hadn’t failed him, only what he had created failed him.  Rottenella had been a good dancer but that pink cheerleader had been better.  A scowl crossed his face.  Rottenella had failed because she had been too stiff.  _That and she required a large crank in her back_ , he thought to himself.

          “If I create a doll that doesn’t need a crank and isn’t so stiff, then I could fool everyone into thinking that it was a real person.  I would need to create something that was still under my command.  But how?”  The villain said to the walls of his underground home. 

          “This is going to be harder than I thought.”  He muttered.  Clapping his hands, a large blackboard descended from the ceiling.  Robbie began to doodle and draw out his plan.

* * *

          Stephanie watched Pixel and Ziggy battle it out on the TV screen.  She was supposed to play the winner of the imaginary soccer game but so far she couldn’t focus.  Her thoughts kept coming back to what Sportacus had said.

          _“I got up and went on with my life.”_ The nine year old had always seen him as a perfect person without any worries or problems.  He loved to be around them and teach them the right things to do.  Then a thought occurred to her. 

          “Oh man!  Stephanie it’s your turn.”  Ziggy complained as he broke her train of thought and handed over the game controller.  She shook her head and plopped down on the sofa next to Pixel.

          The nine year old gave her a sheepish look as he reset the game.  Her right eyebrow rose and then she rubbed her eyes. 

          “What team do you want to be?”  Pixel asked.

          “Uh, what are my choices again?”  Stephanie wondered.

          “Pink, blue, green, or yellow.”  The Gizmo Guy said.

          “Pink of course.”  She smiled for the first time in a while.  _Of course blue is a good color too_ , she thought.

* * *

          Sportacus was pacing back and forth in his airship.  He was beginning to wonder if what he wanted to tell Stephanie was the right thing.  The above average hero hated to see her so upset and losing her parents was a horrible situation.

          His thoughts wondered back to when he was twelve.  He’d been spending the night with some friends when his uncle and aunt came.  They had tried to explain what had happened without saying certain words, dead being the biggest one but finally they had told him the truth.  At the time, he didn’t quite understand what had caused his parents to leave him but he promised himself that he’d live like his parents had, as heroes.

          The above average hero’s aunt and uncle had encouraged him to do whatever he wanted but he had still chosen to become Sportacus 10 and follow after his father, Sportacus 9.  He could remember his mother joining him.  They had been a team, not only as a married couple but also as heroes.  Sportacus never really understood how his mother helped his superhero father but that didn’t matter.  She supported her husband and her son. 

          The good memories made him smile.  He could feel his deep-rooted emotions trying to surface but he didn’t let them get the better of him.  He’d never let his emotions out, as a hero he couldn’t let others know what he really felt.  Shaking his head and his thoughts away, the above average hero called for the platform and ladder.  


	7. Chapter 7

The blackboard appeared once the chalk dust settled.  Robbie stood back and admired his work.  He pulled his lips to the right almost using his cheek to close his right eye.  Slowly, he unscrewed his face and a big smile crossed his face. 

          Quickly, the villain got to work picking out the correct materials to make his latest creation.  This would have to look very life like and believable. 

          “Once, I have created this dummy; I will bring her to life and destroy Sportakook’s!”  Robbie shouted to the rafters.  He began to create the robot that would bring his evil plan to life.

* * *

          The kids had finished playing video games and broken up because it was time for dinner.  Stephanie walked slowly toward her uncle’s house, enjoying the bright sunshine and fresh air.  It had been awhile since she’d just looked at the sky.  So much so she didn’t see where she was going.  Suddenly, she met with something solid.  Something blue and white.

          “I missed you too.”  A familiar accented voice said.  Stephanie reluctantly pulled her face from his chest. 

          “Me, too.”  She blushed.

          “You ok?”  Sportacus asked in concern when he saw the color of her cheeks. 

          “I’m fine.  Just heading…”  Stephanie stopped.  She just couldn’t bring herself to say the word ‘home’.  The smile and blush faded from her face.

          “Come on.  I’m sure your uncle will be waiting for you.”  The above average hero smiled slightly and walked with her.

          They reached the Mayor’s house in a few minutes and Sportacus turned to go, but Stephanie stopped him.

          “You promised we were going to talk.”  She said. 

          “You’re right, I did.  After dinner why don’t you meet me by the mailbox, ok?”  He asked.  Stephanie nodded and went inside to eat dinner.

          Uncle Milford and Bessie were waiting for her in the kitchen.  They didn’t say much until the timer on the stove went off.

          “Dinner’s ready.”  Bessie announced. 

          “You made dinner?”  Stephanie asked.

          “Yes, and I hope you enjoy it.”  The Mayor’s assistant smiled.  Stephanie made a face as Bessie set down a plate of food.  The pot roast wasn’t the problem it was the green stuff next to it.  Zucchini.  A sudden thought crossed her mind.  Her parents always wanted her to eat healthy and she had managed to deal with the green stuff in front of her.  Of course, her father had always lent a fork.

          Milford watched Stephanie push the zucchini around on the plate.  He smiled as he remembered that he used to do that as a kid as well.  The green squash had long been his enemy. 

          “Bessie would you get me some more pot roast, please?”  He asked.  Her eyes lit up and she quickly got up to cut some more.  The Mayor tilted his head at Stephanie and she gave him a look.  He quickly grabbed her plate and pushed the zucchini off onto Bessie’s plate just before the long time assistant turned around with the pot roast.

          “Yum, that was good.  Thanks for dinner Bessie!  See you later.”  Stephanie smiled and ran out the door.

          “Where is she going in such a rush?”  Bessie asked.

          “I’m sure her friends want her to do something.  I’m just glad she’s happy.  I haven’t seen her smile since…”  Milford didn’t finish.  Bessie nodded knowingly and the two quietly finished their meal.


	8. Chapter 8

Stephanie stood by the mailbox waiting for Sportacus.  After a few minutes, she got impatient and pulled a piece of paper and a pen from her purse.  She quickly scrawled a note and rolled the paper up.  It was then that she realized she didn’t have the tube to send the note in.  The nine year began to debate whether she should go back to her uncle’s and retrieve it.

          “What are you thinking about?”  A familiar voice asked.

          “Oh nothing.”  Stephanie replied as she tried to crinkle up the note without him noticing. 

          “What do you have there?”  She pointed to the bag he was carrying.

          “Something, I need to share with you.  Come on, let’s sit on that bench.”  Sportacus smiled.

          “Sit?  Are you sure?”  Stephanie asked.  All the above average hero did was nod.  The two made their way to the bench and sat down.  Sportacus reached into his bag and pulled out a large book with strange words on it.  Stephanie was about to ask what they were when he flipped open the book.

          “When I was twelve something bad happened that I never thought I would get over.  My parents were killed and my aunt and uncle tried to explain.  At first I didn’t understand and I felt alone.  I wasn’t alone.  My aunt and uncle stood by me through my anger, hurt, and eventually my tears.  I want you to know that you aren’t alone.  I will always be here for you and so will your uncle and Bessie.”  Sportacus said.  Stephanie didn’t really know how to respond to what she had just been told.  The above average hero moved the book closer to her so she could see.  There were three people standing somewhere the nine year old didn’t recognize.

          “Is that your mom and dad?”  Stephanie asked.

          “Yes.  This was taken when I was eleven.  My Dad was here in LazyTown for most of the year and the Mayor would let him come home for a little while so we always spent that time together and Mom always took pictures.”  Sportacus explained.

          “Where is home?”  She asked again question.

          “You remember when I said it was a little island to the north?”  He wondered and Stephanie nodded.

          “Well, to be more specific, Iceland.  My aunt and uncle still live there.  I chose to follow in my father’s footsteps and that’s why I came here.  So now LazyTown in my home, just as it will now be your home.”  Sportacus knew those words would be difficult for her but the more someone said it, the better the chance of her beginning to accept it.

          “Were your parents in a car accident too?”  Stephanie inquired.  The above average hero stopped.  Only immediate family knew what had really happened that day and he had never thought of sharing it with anyone.  At his hesitance, Stephanie knew she shouldn’t have asked that question. 

          “I’m sorry.”  Suddenly aware of the heat in her cheeks, the nine year old got up and ran away.  Sportacus quickly got up and followed her, stuffing the photo album back into the bag as he went.  The last thing he wanted was to upset her more.

* * *

          Robbie didn’t see what had happened topside.  He was too busy working on his dummy.  The villain was trying to make it not so stiff.  Modern prosthetics had come along way in making joint movement more human-like and that would be good for when he got that far.

          Currently the torso was giving him a hard time.  Robbie couldn’t seem to douse the electrical whirring and ticking that came from the gears inside the mechanical body.  He poked a button on the remote that would control his creation and shut it down.  Now in silence, Robbie began to pace.

          “Noise, noise, noise.  That thing is almost as loud as those kids.”  He muttered as he poked his temple with his right finger.  Suddenly, something felt funny and he looked at his hands.  A black substance covered his fingertips.  It was grease.  Quickly, Robbie grabbed a can of WD-40 © and began to spray the heck out of the motors and gears.  Once that was done, he pushed the button on the remote and at first nothing seemed to happen.  Taking a closer look, the villain realized that the gears were moving steadily and not a sound was being emitted.

          “Perfect!”  Robbie crowed and he went to grab a part from a nearby table.  Unfortunately, all the greasing he did had bent the nozzle on the aerosol can and caused it to leak. There was a pool on the floor of WD-40 ©, just off the edge of the table.  Not seeing the puddle on the floor, Robbie slipped and fell, perfecting the face-plant.

          “I meant to do that.”  He mumbled.  


	9. Chapter 9

Stephanie ran until she was at the tree house.  Quickly, she climbed up the ladder and let herself in.  Hugging her knees to her cheeks, she sat there and cried.  Here Sportacus was trying to be nice to her and tell her that everything will be all right and she had gone and asked that question.  The nine year old wished that the ground would just swallow her up.

          Sportacus knew that Stephanie would head for the tree house.  It was her favorite place to be alone.  He saw that the sun was getting lower in the sky and the hour getting late.  Hopefully, he could convince her to come down before the Mayor would come looking for her.

          Quietly, the above average hero climbed the ladder leading up to the tree and knocked on the door.  When there was no answer, Sportacus wondered if maybe he’d been wrong, but he decided to try it again.  This time he listened after he knocked and he could hear soft sobbing.  Carefully, he opened the hatch a little way.

          “Stephanie, can we talk some more?”  He asked.  The nine year old moved her head slightly and looked at the above average hero. 

          “Please.  I want to finish our conversation.”  Sportacus beseeched her.

          “I’ll just ask something, I shouldn’t.”  She murmured.

          “No, I knew that question would come up.  I just wasn’t exactly prepared.  It’s ok.  I’ll tell you what happened.  You already told me what happened so this way we can keep each other’s secrets.”  Sportacus smiled.  At this, Stephanie relaxed her knees a little and a smile creased her lips.  She crawled over to the ladder and Sportacus backed down it.  The nine year old climbed down the ladder and the two stood in silence for a few moments.

          “Let’s go sit down again.”  The above average hero coaxed.  Stephanie nodded and they sat on the nearest park bench. 

          “My parents were spending sometime together while I was sleeping over at a friend’s house.  It was late when my aunt and uncle showed up at the door.  They pulled me aside and told me that there had been an accident.  My mother and father had gone to the theater that night.  They stopped off at a little shop to buy some flowers.  A man came up and tried to take the money from the owner and ordered my mother and father to give him their’s too.”  Sportacus paused, unsure if he wanted to go further.  He turned his head, so Stephanie wouldn’t see the tears threatening to drop.  That’s when he felt something touching his hand.

          Sportacus turned his head back toward Stephanie.  She had put her hand in his.  There was a slight smile on her face.

          “See now we know each other’s secrets.”  He smiled back.  Stephanie snuggled a little closer and put her head on his shoulder. 

          “Thank you.”  She said.  Sportacus wrapped his arm around her and gave her a little squeeze.

          “I think we should get you home.  I’m sure your uncle will be worried.”  He said.  Stephanie nodded and slowly stood up.  Sportacus stood up and the two walked, hand in hand, back to Mayor Meanswell’s house.

* * *

          Robbie looked over at his clock.  The hands read nine-thirty at night.  He yawned and looked at his creation.  So far, he had managed to get the torso and arms together.  The past hour had been spent testing the joint movement in the elbows, wrists, and shoulders.

          “Hmmm.  I think all this hard work should be rewarded with cake.”  Robbie licked his lips and grabbed a piece off a table that was away from his workspace.  Then he picked up a fork and moved back over toward his favorite chair.  The villain plunked himself down in the big fuzzy orange chair and turned on the television. 

          “I hope there is something good on tonight.”  Robbie muttered as he flipped through the channels.  He passed some crime dramas and some strange things on the SciFi © channel, until he finally landed on something familiar. 

          Robbie laughed as he watched the animated characters do their crazy things on the screen.  He almost choked on his cake, he was laughing so hard. 

          “Victory is mine!”  Stewie shouted from inside the TV.  There was something Robbie had to agree with.

          “It certainly will be.”  He smiled. 


	10. Chapter 10

A few days passed and Robbie stood back from the table, looking at his creation.  The totally animatronic person sat in the tabletop smiling at him.  Robbie had spray-painted the robot last night and now it looked like a perfectly normal eight year old girl.  Well almost perfectly normal.  It was quite obvious that there was something not right with the knee joints but that could easily be remedied.

          The little “girl” looked nice enough but the switch that was hidden in a panel on her neck said otherwise.  Robbie had built the panel to hide the switch in case something happened to her hair, which was a realistic brown wig.  It would be a dead give away if the toggle was just standing out in the open.

          “Hmmm…”  The villain said as he paced back and forth.  What would he give the “girl” to wear? 

Robbie grabbed the remote and poked a series of buttons.  The “girl” slid off the table and stood up.  Another series of buttons engaged the robot’s own “brain”.  Now she could walk, talk, and play like a real girl.

“Good morning.”  Robbie said.

“Good morning.”  She replied.  A smile crossed the villain’s face.

“I have some clothes for you.”  He pointed to the tubes.  _Maybe it would be better to let her choose the clothes_ , Robbie figured.  _Besides it’ll be a good “brain” test._ Another thought occurred to him. _I still have to come up with a name._

While the “girl” looked at the tubes and what they held, Robbie dug around in his limited library for the book of names he had.  Rottenella wouldn’t work, it would be yet another give away, especially after that dance competition last summer.  A few minutes later, Robbie found what he was looking for, “The Big Book of Baby Names”. 

“I want these.”  The “girl” announced pointing to the second tube.  Robbie turned and looked to see that she had chosen a pair of cranberry capri’s with a purple top.

“Good choice.”  He said as he walked over to the keyboard.  Pressing the keys, the musical notes told the tubes which one he wanted and the outfit shot out on the long board.  The “girl” walked over and twirled around.  Within seconds, she was ready for the day.

“Now all we have to do is pick a name.”  Robbie said.  He took her hand and they walked to the table where he had placed the baby name book.

A few hours later it was two o’clock in the afternoon and the little girl was ready.  She stood in front of Robbie, smiling. 

“Now, Rose Rotten, activate ‘Destroy Sportacus Program’.”  He ordered.

“Yes, father.  Activating ‘DSP’ protocol; search and destroy.  I will bring the do-gooder’s reign to an end.”  Rose answered.  An evil laugh escaped Robbie’s lips as she climbed up the tube.

* * *

          “I love to dance and I love to move,

          I love to swing and I love to groove,

          I love sports candy it helps me build muscle

          Helps me think and it helps me hustle,

          I try and try,

          There’s always a way

          I love to dance with you everyday!”

Stephanie danced in the sunlight along to the music.  She hadn’t felt this good in a long time.  Something inside her just wanted to burst.  Maybe it was the sun.  Maybe it was the birds singing their songs.  The nine year old missed her parents, which was to be expected.  She kissed a picture that she had of them every night before bed and every morning before she got ready for another day without them. 

Here in LazyTown, she was among friends and a loved one.  That was what mattered.  Stephanie would never be alone again.  A smile crossed her face as she saw a large shadow move over the town.  Sportacus was always there.


	11. Chapter 11

Rose walked around town taking note of the many different people.  However none of them resembled her target.  She could see that there was a group of kids playing on the sports field and she decided they might be her key to finding Sportakook.

          The kids were throwing a circular disk around and talking excitedly.  The little blond one threw it a little too hard and the disk landed by her feet.  A taller pink haired one came over to her.

          “Can we have that back?”  She asked.  Rose’s first inclination was to follow her programming and say no but she had to find Sportaflake first.

          “Yes.”  Was all the new girl said as she picked up the disk.

          “Thanks.  Do you wanna play with us?”  Pinky wondered.

          “Well, I’m looking for someone.”  The other “girl” answered.

          “Maybe I can help.  My name is Stephanie by the way.” 

          “My name is Rose.”  Stephanie smiled and the other “girl” smiled back.

          “Hey Stephanie are you coming back?”  It was the orange-haired boy.

          “I’ll be right over!”  She shouted back.  Turning to Rose, she said,

          “I’ll help you look for the person soon.  Just give me a chance to tell my friends.”  Rose nodded and watched Stephanie run over to the others.

          A few minutes later, she returned and told Rose that her friends were going to play without her. 

          “Who are you looking for?”  Stephanie asked.

          “His name is Sporta…” there was a slight pause as she almost said ‘Sportakook’.

          “Sportacus?”  The pink-haired one wondered.

          “That’s it.”  Rose said.

          “I haven’t seen him yet today but then again things have a way of getting exciting around here.  How do you know him?”  Stephanie asked.  She didn’t want to judge the new girl but something seemed fishy.

          “Oh not much.  My father just speaks a lot about him.  I guess I just wanted to meet him.”  Rose made a quick cover.

          “Are you new to LazyTown or have I just not seen you before?”  Pinky wondered.

          “Oh, I just came here.”  Rose answered, which technically was the truth.

* * *

          Robbie watched from below ground through his periscope.  The turn of events weren’t going as he’d planned.

          “What is she doing?  I told her to destroy Sportadork.  Not make friends!”  He whined.  Quickly, he grabbed up a walkie-talkie from the top of the machine that was nearby and pressed down the talk button.

          “Get Sportawipe!  Stop goofing around!”  

* * *

          Rose heard the voice in her head and squeezed her eyes shut.  She didn’t know how her father’s voice got into her head.

          “Are you ok?”  Stephanie asked.

          “Uh yeah.  Well I guess I’ll have to look for him later.”  Rose tried to get her to go away.

          “Why don’t we try sending him a letter before you go?  He always answers to those.”  The nine year old said.

          “Ok.”  _If that will get you to go away,_ Rose thought.  Stephanie pulled a piece of paper and a pen from her purse and quickly wrote a little note.

          “Let me go get the tube from my uncle’s house real quick.”  She said and she took off like a shot.  _Finally, she’s too perky,_ Rose reflected.  Her thoughts soon turned to how she heard her father’s voice in her head.

          Stephanie was back in a minute and she held the tube up to show her new friend.  Rose tried to look interested as the pink haired girl put the tube into the chute and pulled the lever.  The tube shot skyward toward the large airship.

          “He’ll be here soon.”  Stephanie said.

          “Excellent.”  Rose smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

Sportacus received Stephanie’s message and immediately flipped over to the open door.  He quickly shouted,

          “Sky Chaser!”  And the pedaling machine came out of its compartment.  Jumping off the door, Sportacus landed on the vehicle and pedaled down to the mailbox.

          “Hi Stephanie and…”  Sportacus said as he landed near the two new girls.  Something inside him was a little disappointed that Stephanie wasn’t alone.

          “Rose.”  The “girl” answered.

          “Nice to meet you.  So what’s up?”  He asked.

          “Oh Rose is new here and she just wanted to meet you is all.”  Stephanie smiled.  Something inside her wished that Rose wasn’t there. 

          “Well, that’s…” Sportacus didn’t get a chance to finish as his crystal went off.

          “Uh excuse me.”  He said and quickly flipped off in the direction of the trouble.

          “What was that?”  Rose asked.

          “His crystal.  It tells him when someone is in trouble.”  Stephanie explained.  An evil thought crossed the robot’s mind.  _That’s how I’ll get him.  His crystal and this perky, pink haired, girl_ , she thought.  The pink haired girl looked over at Rose.  Something really didn’t seem right but she shook it off.  She just needed to get used to the new girl.

* * *

          Later, Stephanie sat in her bedroom writing in her diary.  Rose had not wanted to play with her and the others saying she had to get home.  The nine year old brushed it off but when she saw the girl walk away something seemed unusual about her gait.  There was a knock on the door and she bid the person to enter.

          “Hello Stephanie.”

          “Hi, Miss Busybody.  I thought you and Uncle Milford were still down at Town Hall.” 

          “Oh no.  We just got here.  I’m going to make dinner and I wondered if you wanted to help me.”  Miss Busybody offered.  Stephanie remained quiet for a few minutes.  She and her mother used to make dinner together.  Miss Busybody sensed her hesitance and moved closer toward her.  Sitting down on the bed, the Mayor’s assistant tried to be as helpful as she could.

          “It’s ok.  If you don’t want to, I understand.  Just let me know if you change your mind.”  She gave Stephanie a quick hug and stood up.

          “I want to.  Can you just give me a minute?”  The pink haired girl wondered.

          “Of course dear.”  Miss Busybody left the room and headed down the hall toward the kitchen.  Stephanie picked up the picture of her parents and smiled.

          “You wouldn’t mind would you mom?”  She asked.  Of course, she would get no answer from the picture but something inside her said she should still ask.  After a few minutes, Stephanie got up, set the picture down, and walked down the hall.

* * *

          Rose sat on the workshop table watching her father tinker inside her chest cavity.  She had left Stephanie in a hurry because she could feel the gears inside her starting to stiffen.

          “How does that feel?”  Robbie asked.

          “Better.”  Rose answered.

          “You still haven’t disposed of Sportadope.”  He reminded her.

          “I have a plan.  Nothing will get in the way of my objective.”  She reassured him.

          “Nothing will stop me.”

* * *

          After dinner, Stephanie walked outside and up to the mailbox.  She placed the letter tube into the chute and pulled the lever.  Once again, Sportacus was there in a flash.

          “What’s up?”  He asked.

          “I cooked dinner tonight with Bessie.  I…”  Stephanie stopped.

          “That’s good.”  Sportacus tried to be supportive.       

          “Do you think that my mom would be upset?”  She asked.  Sportacus smiled slightly.

          “No, I think your mother would be very proud of you.”  He said.  Stephanie smiled a little and wrapped her arms around him.  The hug felt good.  It felt right.  Sportacus wrapped his arms around her and held on.

          “I miss them.”  She said.

          “I know.”  Sportacus aid quietly. 

          “I know.”


	13. Chapter 13

The morning sun shone wonderful and bright.  Birds chirped and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  But Rose wasn’t paying attention to that.  She was too busy setting a trap. 

          The rope hung from the branch of the big maple tree near the sports field.  Rose climbed up into the tree using the rope and pulled it up with her.  Quickly she stuffed it up in the mess of leaves and branches further up.  She would wait for the opportune moment and catch Stephanie’s attention by saying she was stuck.  Once that was done, she would “fall” out of the tree and lay still on the ground.  Robbie would throw the kill switch and for a few minutes, Rose would appear dead.  Stephanie would witness Sportacus fail.  Hopefully, this would turn the girl into a mess.  With his failure, Sportacus would leave LazyTown.  There was only one part of the plan that didn’t seem right, hitting her kill switch.

          That part really bothered Rose.  She would lose everything that was currently stored in her memory banks and her chips would be fried.  Sure on the outside, she would still be Rose but Robbie would have to install new chips and no longer would she be the robot she was now.  Quickly, those thoughts were shaken from her head as she saw Stephanie coming closer.

          “Stephanie!”  Rose called out.  The pink haired girl looked around and didn’t see anyone.

          “Up here in the tree!  I’m stuck.”  Rose called again.  Stephanie now ran toward the tree and saw the new girl stuck up on a branch. 

          “I’m coming up!  Hang on!”  Stephanie grabbed the lowest branch and worked her way up into the tree.  Rose knew that this was deviating from the plan and she had to act quickly.  An idea came to her.

          Stephanie watched as her new friend began to slip from the branch she was stuck on.  Things unfolded as if in slow motion.  Rose fell toward her and a collision seemed inevitable.  Suddenly, something blue appeared out of the corner of her eyes.  Her last thought was, _Oh no, the plan failed_.

          Sportacus grabbed the “girl” with one hand.  She seemed heavier than she should’ve been and her head hit one of the branches.  The above average hero landed on the ground, set the robot down, and quickly moved under the tree.

          “Hang on, Stephanie!”  He jumped onto one of the branches and reached for her.  The above average hero could see the fear in her eyes.  She didn’t need this, never mind right now.  His hand found her waist and he said,

          “Let go, I have you.”  Sportacus said.  Stephanie did as she was told and the above average hero pulled her close.  She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks at their proximity.  Sportacus could see her cheeks turn red and he jumped back down to the ground.  Immediately, he let go of her to see how Rose was.

* * *

          Robbie saw the whole thing through his periscope and quickly hit the kill switch.  Rose’s circuits and chips were immediately fried.  He watched as Sportacus was unable to find a pulse.  This was it the above average hero’s moment of failure was here.  Or at least that’s what he thought until he saw Sportacus pick Rose up and race toward the doctor’s office.

          “Oh no.”  Were the only words that escaped Robbie’s lips.

* * *

          Stephanie followed Sportacus to the doctor’s office.  Both hoped the girl would be all right.  Little did they know they were in for the shock of their lives.


	14. Chapter 14

“What do you mean, ‘she’s a robot?’”  Sportacus asked Doctor Melior.

          “Just what I said; this girl isn’t real.  She’s made of metal and other artificial components.”  The doctor explained. 

          “But how is that possible?”  Stephanie asked.

          “Simple.  Watch.”  Doctor Melior put his finger on the poked the back of Rose’s neck and a mechanical whirring sound revealed a panel that opened all by itself.  There inside the hidden compartment was a large red switch.

          Sportacus and Stephanie stood in complete silence.  They were trying to understand what was going on.

          “Who created her?”  The above average hero asked.

          “I don’t know but they did a very good job.”  Doctor Melior answered.

          “Why did they create her?”  Stephanie asked.

          “Another good question.”  The doctor said.

          “What was she doing up in that tree?”  Sportacus asked another question.  Everyone in the room shook their heads.  No one knew the answers to those questions.

          “Maybe Pixel can help.”  Stephanie finally suggested.

          “That’s a great idea, Stephanie.  Thanks you Doctor.”  Sportacus picked up Rose and carried her out toward Pixel’s house while Stephanie tried to keep up.

* * *

          Robbie watched the above average hero and pink haired girl run toward Pixel’s house.  He scowled at the fact that his plan had failed miserably.  Soon they might be able to connect him to the robot and then Sportacus would come for him. 

          “I fried her chips but that Poodle can recover all sorts of things with his darn technology.”  Then another idea occurred to him. 

          “The self-destruct mechanism.”  Robbie smiled and ran over to his big fuzzy orange chair.  On the stand next to it was Rose’s remote.

          “I press the right key combination and Rose will destroy herself and anyone within a five foot radius will be destroyed too.”  Robbie stopped for a second.  He wanted Sportacus to leave LazyTown but was killing him going to really help?

* * *

          “Wow!”  Pixel remarked. 

          “Can you tell us who made her?”  Sportacus asked.

          “Let me see.”  The Gizmo Guy grabbed a screwdriver off the table near him and unscrewed the screws in the hidden compartment.  Once he did that, Pixel could see a bunch of wires.  Some looked fried and others looked to be intact.

          “From the looks of things the primary wires are still allowing the robot to function but the secondary wires appear to be singed.”  He said.

          “In English?”  Stephanie asked.

          “The main wires that keep her functioning on the lowest level of power are still in good shape.  Unfortunately, the ‘brain’ wires appear to be destroyed.”  Pixel explained.

          “Do you think you could get them to work again?”  Sportacus wondered.

          “I’m going to plug her into my computer and run a diagnostic program.  Hopefully I can see what is wrong and possibly repair it.”  He said.  Both Sportacus and Stephanie looked confused but the Gizmo Guy just started to attach wires and other things to read in what condition the robot was in and to see if he could save anything good.


	15. Chapter 15

Robbie watched Pixel’s house to see if Sportacus was leaving.  He could still punch in the self-destruct code but the chances of just hurting the above average hero were slim.  The kids were annoying and noisy but hurting them would only get _him_ kicked out of LazyTown.

          “What to do?  What to do?”  Robbie muttered as he pulled his eyes away from the periscope.  After rubbing his eyes, he glued them back to the scope.

* * *

          Pixel continued to tinker and read the scans off the computer.  Sportacus paced back and forth while Stephanie watched Pixel.

          “How much longer is this going to take?”  She asked.

          “Give me five more minutes.”  Pixel answered.  Sportacus, who was now on the floor doing push-ups, stood up.  He saw the look on Stephanie’s face.  She was either extremely bored or unhappy.  The above average hero wanted to ask her if she was ok but Pixel interrupted.

          “All right.  The diagnostic finished.  Sportacus, could you grab the printout?”  The Gizmo Guy asked.  Sportacus nodded and walked over to the printer.  He looked at the sheet but it appeared to be nothing but gibberish so he handed it to Pixel.  The nine year old grabbed the printout and read it.

          “Hmmm…”  he muttered.

          “What is it?”  Stephanie asked.

          “Well according to the data, all of the software was completely destroyed but the hardware remains intact.  I might be able to retrieve its protocols but that will take some time.”  Pixel explained.  Sportacus’ eyes went wide and Stephanie said,

          “My brain hurts.  Can you just do what you have to, so we can get what we need?”

          “Of course.  I’ll call when I’m done.”  Pixel smiled.

          “Can you give us a guess as to how long it will take?”  Sportacus wondered.

          “I’d say one or two days tops.”  The Gizmo Guy said.

          “Ok, thanks Pixel.”  The above average hero smiled.  Then he and Stephanie walked outside, leaving Pixel to his work.

          Once they were alone, Sportacus turned to the pink haired nine year old.  She seemed to be happier out in the sun.

          “Well I guess we have to wait.  Why don’t we find the others?  Maybe we could play catch.”  He suggested.

          “Yeah, sure.”  Stephanie just shrugged her shoulders.  She looked up at the above average hero’s face.  There seemed to be something in them that begged her to tell him the truth about the strange feelings she was having.  Stephanie could feel blood rushing to her cheeks as they had earlier when he pulled her to safety and she wanted to turn away from him. 

          “Stephanie are you ok?  Your cheeks are all red.”  Sportacus asked.

          “I’m fine.  Let’s find the kids.”  She answered in a rush.  Running towards the sports field she challenged the above average hero to keep up.  At first, he pretended to fall behind but eventually he sped up and caught up to her.  The two continued to laugh and tease each other until they reached the sports field where Trixie, Stingy, and Ziggy were playing.

* * *

          Robbie watched in disgust as the kids and the above average hero played catch in the waning afternoon sun.  He turned from the periscope for the third time in ten minutes.  There still had to be something he could do.  The self-destruct mechanism was still an option.  One he would have to take.


	16. Chapter 16

Pixel stood in his room, satisfied at the work he had done.  Two days had passed but he was able to put together all the pieces and wires to make Rose work on a very low functioning level.  Now all he had to do was to wait for Sportacus to show up.

          “Hey Pixel.”  Came the familiar accented voice.

          “Hi Sportacus!  I’ve got Rose all set to go.  Are you ready?”  The Gizmo Guy asked.

          “Let’s do it.”  Sportacus said.  With that, Pixel flicked on the switch in the back of Rose’s neck and the robot came to life.

          “Robot give me your primary function.”  The Gizmo Guy ordered.  Nothing happened. Frowning, Pixel tried it again.

          “Robot give me your prime directive.”  He hoped that changing the command might help but still nothing happened.  Sportacus could see that Pixel was getting frustrated and stopped him before he ordered the “girl” to do anything else.

          “Try calling it Rose.”  The above average hero suggested.  Pixel gave him a questioning look. 

          “It’s a machine.  It won’t answer to a name, especially since the “brain” functions were destroyed.”  The nine year old said.

          “Try it anyway.”  Sportacus encouraged.  Pixel shook his head and obeyed.

          “Rose give me your prime directive.”  Both stood there and watched as the robot’s eyes moved as if to only now recognize someone was ordering her to obey.

* * *

          Robbie watched as Sportacus had entered Pixel’s house.  It was now or never.  Slowly, the villain began to press the buttons to enter the self-destruct code.

* * *

          “My prime directive is to obey my creator and father.  ‘DSP’ protocol; search and destroy.”  Rose answered in a mechanical tone.

          “What does that mean?”  Sportacus asked.  Pixel shrugged his shoulders and asked Rose another question.

          “Explain ‘DSP’ protocol.”  He ordered.

          “‘DSP’ protocol stands for ‘Destroy Sportacus Program’.  I am to find a way to rid LazyTown of its hero.”  Rose’s mechanical voice explained.  When the above average hero heard that his fists tightened.  The muscles in his well defined arms became taut and flexed; a sure sign of his very rarely seen anger.

          “Robbie Rotten.”  Sportacus said between his teeth.

* * *

          Robbie held his finger over the last button.  The remote stood at the ready waiting for the command.  He sighed.  There would be no going back.  Slowly, the villain brought the tip of his right index finger down on the final button.  The words, “Self-destruct mechanism activated”, flashed across the little screen and the countdown began.  _10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5…_ _4…_


	17. Chapter 17

_3… 2… 1… 0_ , Robbie watched as the countdown finished.  He hoped that no one would ever realize what he had just done.

* * *

          Pixel and Sportacus stood in the boy’s room trying to figure out what to do when they heard a ticking noise.

          “What’s that?”  The above average hero asked.

          “I don’t know.”  Pixel said.  Quickly he turned toward Rose.  She seemed to be the thing that was ticking.  As fast as he could, Pixel flicked the switch in the back of Rose’s neck.  Then everything was silent. 

* * *

          Robbie waited for the explosion and sirens but none of that came.  He looked at the remote and saw words flashing across its screen, “Failure!  Failure!  Failure!”  The villain let out the breath he was holding.  Now the only thing he expected to hear were Sportacus’ angry footsteps.

* * *

          Pixel flicked the switch back on and the ticking noise did not resume.  He shook his head and decided to ask Rose.

          “Activate brain functions.”  He ordered and Rose did as she was told.

          “Brain functions active.  Recent attempt to self-destruct failed.”  She reported.

          “Uh huh.  I thought so.”  Pixel said.

          “What?”  Sportacus asked.

          “The ticking was an attempt to remote activate Rose’s self-destruct mechanism.  Lucky for us, I found the self-destruct button, removed it and the surrounding activating wires.”  The Gizmo Guy explained.

          “When did you find it?”  Sportacus asked.

          “Yesterday, when I was finishing up Rose’s connections.  I decided to remove it on the off chance whoever created also had remote access to her.”  Pixel said nonchalantly.  Sportacus absorbed what the nine year old said and shook his head.

          “Well I think its time I paid Robbie Rotten a visit.”  With that last statement, the above average hero left Pixel’s house and headed toward the billboard. 

          Robbie sat in his big fuzzy orange chair waiting for Sportacus to come and find him.  His latest plan had failed and he knew that the above average hero wasn’t going to stand for it.  A noise from above alerted him to his enemy’s presence. 

          “I knew you’d be coming.”  Robbie said.

          “Well what did you expect after you tried to hurt me and Pixel?”  Sportacus wondered.

          “You know I’ve given you chance after chance, Robbie.  What is your problem?”  He continued.

          “My problem is that no one is lazy anymore.  My problem is that no one listens to me anymore.  They only listen to you.  You think you’re so superior.”  Robbie told him.

          “Well hurting me isn’t going to help you.”  Sportacus said.  He grabbed the villain’s shoulders and pushed him toward the tube.

          “Up you go.  It’s time for yet another Robbie public apology.  Except this time I’m going to add a little something extra to the deal.  How does 500 hours of community service sound?”  The above average hero asked.  Robbie gave him a look but said nothing as he climbed up into the tube.


	18. Epilogue

It was few weeks later and Stephanie sat on a park bench watching the sunset.  School would start soon.  Everyone would go on about their lives as usual but no longer would she wake up to smell her mother making breakfast downstairs.  No longer would she get to eat her mother’s wonderful pancakes or smother them in strawberry syrup.  No longer would she be able to walk to the bus stop with her friend, April.  When she got home from school, her dad and mom wouldn’t be there to give her a hug and tell her how much they loved her.  They wouldn’t be able to enjoy eating dinner together or having them help her with her homework.  Something reminded her that she would never have to listen to them argue or how much it hurt to hear them shout.  She wouldn’t have to lie in bed and cry because of the hurtful things she could hear her parents saying to each other.

It had been hard for her friends here in LazyTown to understand that she wouldn’t be going back home.  They hadn’t been told everything; just that she would live here now.  Uncle Milford had decided to not put Stephanie through having to explain what really had happened.  Things hadn’t changed much here but now they would never be the same.  Stephanie’s future had been altered and all the deep thoughts in her head swam around trying to pull themselves together.  Then the nine year old heard the airship. 

That warm feeling inside her returned and her cheeks turned red.  She watched as the airship parked itself over LazyTown.  Lately, all she could think about was the blue suited above average hero and every time he was near she had this strange feeling.  He had shared a deep dark secret with her and the two would always have that. 

Stephanie was so focused on her thoughts that she didn’t see the ladder descend from the airship.  Sportacus climbed down a little ways before jumping off the rungs.

“Hi Stephanie.”  He said.  Surprised, Stephanie jumped out of her seat.

“Hi Sportacus.”  She answered.

“I think it’s time for someone to go to bed.”  He smiled as the sun sank behind the last house and the sky darkened.  Stephanie smiled.

“Probably, I guess I just lost track of the time.”

“I’ll walk you home.”  Sportacus offered.  Stephanie nodded and the two began to walk toward Uncle Milford’s.  The nine year old had this sudden urge to grab the above average hero’s hand but before she could make a move Sportacus reached for hers.  Hand-in-hand they walked and Stephanie realized that no matter what Sportacus would always be there for her and always be her friend. 

**The End**


End file.
